"When Religion Becomes Evil"

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses the concepts enumerated in the book "When Religion Becomes Evil," written by Charles Kimball and analyzes the contextual information in the book. The paper also discusses the five warning signs that Kimball outlines regarding when a religion has become corrupt: absolute truth claims, blind obedience, establishing the "ideal" time, the end justifies the means and the declaration of holy war. The paper concludes with the writer's brief review of the book.

From the Paper:

"This leads us to the last warning sign, of when all the previous are in place, and the religion believes its purpose is war that is sanctioned by God. Religions throughout the past have thought their acts of war were justified and even demanded by God. But we have come a long way since then, and reports of booming voices form a bush or the sky are not enough to convince people to go to war. Radical sects of many religions, however, do proclaim a holy war on the "other", especially when the other challenges the group identity (Kimball, p 189). One good example is the transformation of the notion of jihad as a holy war against the temptations that would lead away from God, to jihad as a holy war against other social groups."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Kimball, Charles. When Religion Becomes Evil. Harper One. 2003.

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